Hair cutting device



Dec. 1, 1959 w. A. BENSON HAIR CUTTING DEVICE Filed April 9, 1957 United States Patent HAIR CUTTING DEVICE I Wayne A. Benson, Rudd, Iowa Application April 9, 1957, Serial No. 651,640

3 Claims. (Cl. 132-45 its out length properly determined, and the direction of growth or fall of the hair of different people makes each cutting dilferent and thus more difficult for the barber. i

.Some devices have been utilized to facilitate the completion of this type haircut. However, the devices known to me restrict the angle of attack of the barber clippers so if the fall of a persons hair is at all abnormal, the fixed direction of movement of the clippers cannot compensate for the unusual direction of growth of the hair. However, the most serious shortcoming of these devices known to me is that they are completely unable to hold the hair up so that it can be uniformly cut.

Therefore, the principal object of my invention is to provide a hair cutting device that will hold the hair up so that it can be uniformly cut.

A further object of my invention is to provide a hair cutting device that will permit the cutting element to move in any direction.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a hair cutting device that will permit the cutting of hair to .form a uniform fiat plane.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a hair cutting device that will permit the cutting plane of the unit to be adjusted to diiferent heights.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a hair cutting device that can be adapted for use on persons having different sized heads.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a hair cutting device that is durable in use, economic of manufacture and refined in appearance.

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangements, and combination, of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth, specifically pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of my device when mounted on a persons head. This figure also shows the electrical conduit for the clippers to be broken'to conserve space and the vacuum pump and hose are broken away from the hose nozzle and shown at a reduced scale,

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of my device taken on line 22 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a top view of my device. The dotted lines in this figure show the cutting unit in an alternate position.

ice j I have used the numeral 10 to designate a flexible supporting band. A conventional strap and buckle unit 12 can be used on band 10 to secure the band to heads of different sizes. As shown in Fig. 2, arm members 14 and 16 extend transversely from the sides of band 10 and are adapted to rotate about their longitudinal axis by virtue of the attachment to band 10 by bearing members 18. The outward ends of arms 14 and 16 are pierced and are adapted to threadably receive threaded pins 20 and 22, respectively. Pins 20 and 22 are positioned perpendicularly to their respective arms, and each pin has a knob 24 on its upward end to facilitate the rotation of the pins within their means of support. Fig. 2 also shows that the lower portion 25 of Z-shaped brackets 26 and 28 rotatably embrace the pins 20 and 22, respectively, at a point just below knobs 24. This arrangement will permit the top portion 27 of brackets 26 and 28 to dwell in a place above knobs 24.

A bearing member 30 is secured to the rear end of band 10 and extends outwardly therefrom. A set screw 32 is associated with hearing member 30 and performs itsconventional function. A rod 34 is loosely and slidably journaled in bearing member 30 and is disposed in a substantially vertical position. Set screw 32 is adapted to selectively hold rod 34 against movement with respect to bearing member 30. The upper end of rod 34 is bent at 36 to form an oval-shaped hoop 38 which dwells ina single flat plane and which is substantially perpendicular to rod 34. t The sides of hoop 38 are rigidly secured to top portion 27 of brackets 26 and 28 in any convenient manner such as by welding.

The cutting mechanism of my invention is comprised of flat bar 40 which has a length greater than any transverse width of hoop 38. The reciprocating cutting teeth mechanism 42 of clippers 44 is rigidly secured to the middle of bar 40 and extends forwardly thereof as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Cutting mechanism 42 dwells in the same plane as does bar 40. The clipper 44 is detachably secured to the cutting teeth mechanism in conventional fashion and I do not regard this phase of my device as being a part of my invention. An electrical conduit 46 extends from the rear end of clipper 44 and is adapted to be connected to a source of electricity.

A hollow nozzle 48 is secured to the top of clipper 44 by brackets 50 and 52. The forward end of nozzle 48 terminates in the same plane as bar 40 and cutting mechanism 42 but extends slightly forward of the cutting mechanism as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. As shown in Fig. l, the lower tip of the forward end of nozzle 48 has been cut away at 54 so that the forward edge of cutting mechanism 42 is immediately adjacent the interior of the nozzle. A hose 56 connects the rear end of nozzle 48 to a vacuum pump 58.

The normal operation of my device is as follows: The band 10 is adjusted to proper size and secured to the head 60 of a person by means of strap and buckle assembly 12. Rod 34 is permitted freer movement in bearing member 30 by loosening set screw 32 and the height of hoop 38 with respect to hair 62 can be adjusted by threadably rotating pins 20 and 22 within arms 14 and 16, repectively. The angle of the plane of hoop 38 can then be determined by raising 0r lowering rod 34 within bearing member 30. When the desired angle of hoop 38 has been reached, set screw 32 can be tightened upon rod 34 to hold the hoop in that position.

At that point, the clipper 44 can be secured in conventional fashion. to the cutting mechanism 42 which is rigidly secured to bar 40. The clippers are thereupon connected to a source of electrical power by conduit 46 and the vacuum pump 58 is actuated. The bar 40 is placed on top of hoop 38 and serves to stabilize the angle of the clippers with respect to hoop 38. The bar 40,

clippers 44 and nozzle 48 can then be moved in any direction over hoop 38 to cut the hair 62 from the direction that is most convenient. The vacuum pump 58 pulls air from the room into the forward end of nozzle 48: The" suction thus created within nozzle 48"per'forms two-function's. One function is to pull the' c'ut lengths of hair away from" the forward edge of cutting n'iecha nism 42. But-' the most important function of the nozzle 48' is to pull the uncut hair 62 vertically upward toward the clippers. It is obvious that the cutting of a portion of the hair that was not fully extended from the head Rvould leave a very non-uniform appearance of the hair as soon as it was subsequently combed. The vacuum or nozzle 48 will insure that all the hair will be fully extended and held up so that the cutting operation will becornpletely uniform.

Sorhechanges may be made in the construction and arrangement of my hair cutting device without departing f'rom the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims, any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

1. In a device of the class described, a continuous bandmember, a rigid hoop member disposed above said band member, means connecting said band member and said hoop member for adjusting the spaced apart distance therebetween, means extending between said band member and said hoop member for selectively adjusting the angle therebetween, a flat bar havingits ends resting on opposite sides of the top of said hoop and adapted to freely slide thereon, a hair cutting mechanism rigidly secured to said bar and operatively connected to a source of power, a vacuum pump, and a nozzle member having a mouth portion operatively secured to said cutting mechanism and having its mouth adjacent said cutting mechanism, said nozzle being operatively connected to said vacuum pump.

2. In a hair cutting devicefor cutting the hair on the top of a persons head in a single flat plane, a supporting member, a rigid flat hoop member operatively secured to and above said supporting member and adapted to dwell in a plane above the head of the person whose hair is being cut, a bar having its ends freely resting on opposite sides of the top of said hoop member and adapted to freely slide thereon, and a hair cutting means operatively secured to said bar.

3. 'In a hair cutting device for cutting the hair on the top of a persons head in a single fiat plane, a supporting member, a rigid flat hoop member operatively secured to and above said supporting member and adapted to dwell in a plane above the head of the person whose hair is being cut, a bar having its ends freely resting on opposite sides of the top of said hoop member and adapted to freely slide thereon, a hair cutting means operatively secured to said bar, a vacuum pump, and a nozzle se-- cured to said hair cutting means and operatively connected to said vacuum'pump.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,013,077 Sharrow Dec. 26, 1911 1,390,465 Shafer Sept. 13, 1921 2,130,311 Parham Sept. 13, 1938' 2,297,735 Allen Oct. 6, 1942 2,347,587 Wiles Apr. 25, 1944* 2,670,744 Levin Mar. 2, 1954 2,718,231 DeLano Sept. 20, 1955 2,765,797 Potente Oct. 9, 1956' 

